BRING IT ON: The 2013 Premier League Hockey season is on track which means players like Orange Wanderers' Nick Sharp (left) and Parkes United's Jacob Townsend will clash again. Photo: JUDE KEOGH
THERE are changes both on and off the field for the 2013 Premier League Hockey season.
The PLH annual general meeting was on Wednesday night where Orange’s Andrew Reddan was voted in as president after Chris Smith stepped down due to family commitments.
Another Orange representative, Adam Hurford is the men’s vice-president while Dubbo’s Kate Corcoran has taken on the women’s vice-presidency role.
Michelle Stevenson is the secretary and Pam Shuttle is the registrar.
The women will again have nine teams in the competition but they are different from the 2012 season.
Parkes have not nominated a side while Dubbo have returned to the competition.
Dubbo last had a women’s team in the premier league competition in 2008.
Shuttle said it was disappointing Parkes would not have a women’s team this year.
“They really struggled for numbers last year and forfeited a couple of games,” she said.
This means Dubbo will join Lithgow Panthers, Lithgow Zig Zag, Bathurst City, Orange Confederates, Bathurst Souths, Bathurst St Pat’s, Orange Ex-Services and Kinross-CYMS in 2013.
The men’s teams will remain the same as last year with six sides lining up including Orange Wanderers, Bathurst Souths, Bathurst St Pat’s, Lithgow Panthers, Lithgow Zig Zag and Parkes United.
Shuttle is hoping to have the draw finalised by this weekend with the men set to play a 20-round competition and the women will play over 18 rounds.
The competition is expected to start on March 16.
The bonus point system used last year, which rewarded teams that scored five goals or more to earn an extra competition point, has been dumped.
There will be a few changes on the field too.
A few of the International Hockey Federation experimental rules have been adopted for this season.
It includes the “own goal” rule which means a goal can be scored after the ball has been touched inside the circle by an attacker or defender.
There will also be some differences at finals time.
If a final goes into golden goal extra-time, it will be played over 7.5 minutes rather than the five minutes previously used.
Should a penalty shoot-out be required in a final, each player will have eight seconds to take their shot once the whistle has blown, rather than the 15 seconds previously allowed.
The gala days will also be held again in 2013 with Bathurst expected to host the men’s day and Dubbo to hold the women’s